Huntington Beach once had a riot
that many say was caused after some
rowdy attendees of the OP Surfing
Competition and Swimsuit Contest got
a little out of hand.
Reportedly one person pulled down
the bathing suit of a swimsuit
competitor and then all hell broke
loose.

While
half our family was at home watching
the reports, several family member
were downtown when the riot broke
out. They heard people yell, Run!
They looked behind them on Main
Street and saw police with billy
clubs chasing after the crowd.
Running as fast as they could down
Main Street, the escaped the melee
by the skin of their teeth. Our
relatives from Illinois still talk
about this memorable vacation in
Huntington Beach that they will
never forget.

Click
on the small snapshots of larger
photographic images to see the big
photos!

Those who have visited or lived in
Huntington Beach for more than 10 years may remember the oil derricks
along Pacific Coast Highway. Walking to the beach, surfers, tourists and
locals all had to walk around them to get to the ocean. Finally, they
were capped and none remain along the waterfront. Tourists often send
emails asking if the oil platforms along the ocean are noticeable and
create an atmosphere not pleasant for visiting. The answer is that while
you will have these platforms in some of your scenic photos in which you
include ocean vistas, they are situated offshore far enough that they
are not strikingly noticeable. Today, you can see an occasional machine
pumping oil near a house, at the wetlands or even along Edwards Hill and
Golden West streets. But you will not see anything like the picture
above, taken years ago.